Caster



NOV. 3; 1931. w, JOHNSON 1,829,862

CASTER Original Filed June 11, 1926 W WM 32, W/(W Patented Nov. 3, 1931 ATENT OFFIC WILFRED e. JOHNSON, or 'ELYRIA, 01110, Assrenon. 'ro 'rnnooLsoNcoMrAn or ELYRIA, 0111c, A CORPORATION or OHIO laim oii i fai application filed June 1 1, 1926, Serial no. 115,279. Divided and this application filed me 25,

i I f 1929. Serial No. 373,510.

This invention relates to. casters and more a I particularly'to improvements in ball'bearing swiveling casters. i i

i One of the objects of invention is to provide a" swiveling caster in which frictionof the relatively movable swiveling I parts [1s reduced to a minimum.

AnotherI object of my invention is to provide an improved swivelingcaster in which the swiveling'is a'ccomplishe'd Without "rotating or otherwisemoving the portion by besupported; I a I Another object is to provide a swivellng caster of'the ball bearingtypetin which the ball bearings are shielded from the collection'ofdustin an'improvedmailner.

. Another object is'to provide a swiveling caster of the ball bearing type constructed in a mannerto permit itsquick and easy as-,

sembling whereby defectiveor worn parts in manu acture or use, respectively, may be easily and inexpensively ,removed and replaced; I J Another objectis to provide an improved caster of the ball bearing swiveling, type of improved and'sim'plified construction, whereby, by the removal ofa single screwthreaded part, the entire ball bearing, including the races and balls, may be detached fromthe caster-and taken apart to inspect-or repair it, and whereby conversely the original as sembling of the caster is rendered quick and cheap. a I Another object is to providean improved swivelingcaster of durable construction and which will be inexpensive to manufacture and easily and quickly assembled from a minimuin number of parts. II

' 7 Another object is to provide an improved swiveling caster which may be madefrom' 'stampings and screw machme made parts,-

" and thereby made cheap to produce.

Other objects of myiinvention and the invention itself will be apparent upon refer v ence to the accompanyingdescription of" an embodiment'thereof and which embodiment is illustrated in the accompanying-drawings,

in which which the caster issecured tothe article to I r I that Ihave chosen to illustrateand describe of the eascaster in Fig. 1.

At 1, Ihave shown the stem of the caster,

adapted to be inserted in the usual or any desired formof socket in the leg or other portion of the piece of furniture or the like to be supported; It will, therefore, be apparent The stem 1 has adjacent its lower end a flange 2 which provides ail-exterior shoulder 3 and an internal shoulder 4;. The stem terminatesdownwardly in a reduced neck 5 adapted to be inserted through an aperture 6 ina bearing housing 7, preferably of sheet 'metal an then riveted over as at 8 to rigidly secure the stem, 1 to the housing 7.

The housing 7, preferably formed from sheet metal comprises a horizontal head 9 from which extends an outwardly depending skirt 10 generally of cone form. The'skirt 10 adjacentits lower end issp'un or otherwise bent or. curved inwardly as at 11. Theparts thus far described comprise that portion of the caster 11 associated with the piece of furniture; I

The parts of the caster associated with the floor will now be described. They comprise the usual or any suitable form of roller 13 having a rotational bearing 1 10 in a yoke 15.

The yoke is preferably formed from sheet I I downwardly directed threaded stem 18 is 1 "Fig, 1 isa side elevational view'of a caster inounted on the web 16 by passing the stem-18 downwardly throughthe perforation 19 and tightly drawing up a nut 20 on the stem. A

look washer 21 may be interposed between 1 the nut 20 and the Web 16. The, stem 1.8 may be provided'with a slot 22 to hold the stem from turning while the nut is being screwed up or to turnt-he stem 18 in the nut to facilit'ate tightening these parts- 'lhe'core mem ber 17 while generally of 'circul'ar d isk form:

10 has the form of a truncated cone, having the conical surface 23 and the planular cut-off portion of the, cone. being at right angles to its axis and resting 'upon'th'e web 16, asabove'j.

described. ihe upper face of the core I'T'may 1 similarly: be of truncated cone form as in:

dicated at 24, and the upper face may be pro-- vided with a centralrecess 25 to give clearance to the riveted'over portion 80f the stem 1 1, thus permitting. the-associated parts to be.

zo comp'actly nested together..j 7

Between the core. 17 and the skirt 10 are the bearing balls26.. Iii-assembling the bearin g,,the core; 1'? may be first placed within the Q skirt 10 and then the balls inserted and then 25" the head 14 of the yoke threaded over the stem Band thenut put in place.

:Bythisfconstruction, four. surfaces, are

provided, which are {generally conical; the,

p surface 23of the. core 1'], an, inner surface 27 3 on the turned in portion 11, the outersurface a 28 of the cone 1a and the inner surface-29aof the skirt 10. The surfaces 23 and27 aredis poseclwith their cone apicesfdownwardly andthe surfaces 28 and 29-with their apices up- 3 wardly. The balls 26' thus run in an annular chamber on these four surfaces oncircular lines thereon. To insure that the-contact:

' with the surfaces29 and 27! will b83011 circular.

lines thereof when the portion 11; is bent, in, 40 as. above described, the'radius/ofcurvaturev at 127 is made smaller than theiradius of the ball.

, Preferably the taper of the four said generally conical surfaces and the arrangement 4s" and dispositionof the-parts such' that a diameter of the ball such as indicated at w will --intersect the conical surface 23 and intersect the-conical surface 27 in the. circles of contact therewith made by theballs and so thata diameter, suchf'asy: at right anglesto the diameter w will correspondinglyintersect surfaces 29' and28 in the circlesofcontact therewith made by the balls. The'se exact mathematical relations are not essen: tial to the successful functioning ofmy im-- provedswivel caster, but it visdesirable for practical purposes that these relations obtain to a sufiicient degree of accuracy so that the.

, v I circles on the core 23and 28 will lie inside-of a cylinder co-az iial or concentric with these circles and passing through the centers ofthe balls and that the circles on, the surfaces 29 and 27 will lie outside of said cylinder...

It will thus, appear, furthermore, that-the four" surfaces described need not conform to true cone surfaces, it being essential only that these surfaces .providematerial at the circles conical shapeandsurface given to, these parts, as} shown in; the drawings, isz'given them to facilitate their manufacture and toresult compact, small, cheap, easily as sembled,construction. Thiscase is divisional from my application Serial No. 115,279, filed June 11, 1926, for "casters.

' thereon for the balls to roll on. But, the

Having thus described my invention I'am I aware that numerous and extensive 'depa'rt'ur'es may be made from the embodiment herein illustrated-and described but. without departing from the spiritof my invention.

Icla'imf- ..1. In .a'swiveling caster, a.sheetjmetal load supporting element, a. sheet metal forked wheelcarrying yoke, upwardly tapering outwardly convex frusto-c'onical. head on the. yoke, a downwardly tapering frusto-conical disk, on the head, ,'attaching means for the disk between the yoke forksthef head and disk including therebetweenan inner hori- 'zontal annular outwardly concave V-shaped groove, a depending skirt on the load supporting element having an upwardly taperingintern-ally concave wall, the-lower end of the skirt, being inwardlyturned-to include betweenthe wall and the end an outer annw larg Jherizontal inwardly concave V shaped groove, the-two grooves beln-g (11SPOSBClOP- posite; to each other, andtheir side walls beingada-pted to-serveasballraees and a plurality of balls, in the said jgroovest 2-. In a swiveling caster, a sheet metal load.

. supporting element, a forkedwheel carrying yoke, formed of sheetmetali and having in its upper end a; horizontally frustated up.- Wardly tapering; conicali'head,;a. perforation ,in the horizontal 3 surface thereof, a. disk on the head-,a. stem: on the. disk, passing; downwardly through the perforat on, a. nutv on the stembetweem the yoke forks, the-head and; disk including therebetweenan innerhorizontal wannular outwardly; \l sliaped con cave groove, a downwardly depending skirt of sheet; metal secured to the-load supporting.

element,,said: skirt having an inner upwardly tapering 'in'wardly xconcave annular: conical" wallan'dthe lower end ofthe skirt being bent.

inwardly to form a. dewnwar'dly'taperinginwardly concave annular conical, wall, thus forming: an outer annular horizontalinwardely 'concavexV-shaped grooveadjacent the.

lower end. ofthe skirt and opposite-the said inner groove, and a plurality of. balls in the grooves.

w 3.. In a sv'vivelingflcaster, a sheetlmetal load supporting-element, a forked wheel carrying yoke, formed of sheet metal and having in its upper end a horizontally frustatedupwardly tapering conical head, a perforation in the horizontal surface thereof, a disk on-thehead,

a stein on the disk passing downwardly through the perforation, a nut on the stem between the yoke forks, the head and disk including therebetweenan inner horizontal. annular outwardly V-shaped concave groove,

a downwardly depending skirt of sheet metal secured to the'load supporting element, said 7 skirt having an inner upwardly tapering 1nwardly concave annular conical wall and the,

lower end of the skirt being bent inwardly'to form a downwardly taperlnginwardly concave "annular conical wall, thus forming an outer annular horizontal inwardly concave V- shaped groove'adj acent the lower end of the skirt and opposite the said inner groove, and aplur'ality of balls in the grooves, sa1d sklrt having an annular lowertedge extended substantially to the said conical head of the yoke,

' cured thereto and depending therefrom, the

4. In a swiveling caster, a sheet metal load supporting element, a sheet metal skirt seskirt being provided with an outer inwardly concaveannular horizontal V-shaped groove I tapering form, a frusto tapering washer, the frustated portions of the I head and washer beingrin juxtaposltlon, a I I and terminating downwardly in an annular edge, a sheet metal forked yoke, a wheel rotat- V ably mounted in the yoke,

a head at the upper end of the yoke of frusto conical upwardly conical downwardly perforation in the: head, athreaded stem on p to the said conical surface of the the washer passing therethrough, a nut on the '7 vex frusto conical head on the yoke, a downing wardly tapering frusto conical disk on the head, attachment means for the disk between theyoke forks the head and disk including therebetween an inner horizontal annular outwardly concave V.-shaped groove, a dependskirt on theload supporting element having an upwardly tapering internally concave wall, the lower end of the skirt being inwardly turned to include between the wall and the end an outer annular horizontal inwardly concave V-shaped 1 groove, the two grooves being disposed opposite-t0 each other and their side walls being'adaptedto serve as ballraces and a plurality of balls in the said grooves, the balls contacting with the V 1 the centers ,said circles. y In testimony whereof I hereunto aflix my signature this 24th day of June, 1929. r

' races onhorizontal circular lines of contact with the inner groove and with the outer groove lying respectively inside and outsideof the surface of a cylinderwpassing through of the balls and oo-axial with the WILFRED e. JOHNSON. 

